


Bannermen

by inmylife



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: (sort of), College Applications, Everyone Is Gay, High School AU, I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT THAT OK, a capella AU, chat fic, linguist!race, my first time writing javid, no one understands what "on time" means, spot's car is a piece of shit and also a meme
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-27 05:43:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12074661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inmylife/pseuds/inmylife
Summary: Jack and David co-run the boys a capella group at their school. Gayness and hilarity ensue.





	1. don't be late

 

 **_The Bannermen 2017-2018!!_ **  
_David Yakovlev added Sean Conlon, Anthony Higgins, Elmer Kasprzak, Jack Sullivan, Albert DaSilva, Bill Hearst, Darcy Reid, Roman Asfour, Louis Ballatt, and Charlie Morris to the chat._

  
**David Yakovlev** : Hi guys! This is the group chat for the 2017-18 school year! Our first rehearsal is on Sunday, who's excited!  
**Sean Conlon** : not me acapella is lame  
**Anthony Higgins** : says you who were so bitter freshman year you cried  
**Sean Conlon** : fuck off  
**Roman Asfour** : you can set nicknames in fb chat right  
_Roman_ _Asfour has set his nickname to_ _Romeo_  
**Elmer Kasprzak** : oh lit  
**Jack Sullivan** : you're so philadelphian it hurts  
**Jack Sullivan** : no one says lit  
_Elmer Kasprzak has set his nickname to Elmer_  
**Elmer** : fuck poland and fuck you  
_Sean Conlon has set his nickname to Spot_  
_Anthony Higgins has set his nickname to Race_  
_Louis Ballatt has set his nickname to Blink_  
_Jack Sullivan has set his nickname to Jack Kelly_  
_Charlie Morris has set his nickname to Crutchie_  
**David Yakovlev** : Are you finished?  
**Race** : I mean....i guess  
**David Yakovlev** : Good, because we need to talk about auditions.  
**Spot** : do jack's solo so the fish will be thirsted into auditioning at the workshop. bang done

 **Jack Kelly** : i dont want them in my pants theyre 14  
 **Darcy Reid** : please explain to me how "thirsted" is a verb  
 **Race** : thats how language works u fucking english major  
 **Race** : words are made up god is dead  
 **Darcy Reid** : we're not even in college yet you can't call me an english major  
 **Race** : I CAN IF I WANT TO  
 **Crutchie** : im excited davey if that counts  
 **David Yakovlev** : Thank you, Crutchie! See guys, I knew at least one of you would be excited!  
 **Jack Kelly** : and we all knew it was gonna be Crutchie. moving on  
 **Jack Kelly** : first rehearsal is at my house aka medda's i trust that all of you have been there so i dont need to give you the address dont be late

—•—

  
Davey is the only one who shows up on time for rehearsal. This is normal, and also it's Davey's job because he has the pitchpipe. Jack doesn't mind. Davey does. A lot.  
"You told them not to be late, Jack, I don't understand why…"  
"What did you expect, Dave," Jack says, lounging on the couch. "When have any of us ever been on time to rehearsal?"  
"We're on time right now," Crutchie points out, biting back a smile.  
"That's because we live here. Davey doesn't. Therefore," Jack explains, "he is the only one who's on fucking time."  
The doorbell rings, and Davey jumps to get it. Jack doesn't even try to stifle his grin as his co-leader and crush of two years leaps at the chance to usher more people inside the house.  
"Thank God," Crutchie comments as Spot and his carpool, consisting of Spot, Romeo, and Blink, walk in. "Dave here was about to go mad."  
"My fucking car," Spot proclaims, throwing his hands in the air and flopping into an armchair. "God jesus shit damn fuck."  
Jack looks to Romeo for explanation. "His phone died and so we didn't have a speedometer, and this asshole was so worried about crashing his precious baby so he insisted on driving five miles an hour the entire rest of the way."  
Classic Spot, Jack thinks, laughing. Davey scowls. "You really should just get a functioning speedometer, Spot."  
Spot starts grumbling about how things cost money, Davey, and Davey begins a retort, but then the door slams open, stopping them in their tracks. Race saunters into the living room, followed by Albert.  
"Do ya have an excuse," Jack asks, "or can Dave keep arguing with Spot?"  
"His fucking car?" Albert clarifies.  
"His fucking car," Crutchie answers.  
"Language," Davey mumbles.  
"Ah, Medda doesn't give a shit," Jack brushes off. "But Race, do ya have a good story?"  
"Nah," the other boy sighs as he sits down crisscross applesauce at Spot's feet. "I just forgot we had rehearsal."  
"He only remembered because I called him," Albert throws in. Race shoots him a glare.  
The doorbell rings, and Darcy and Bill come in without waiting for anyone to meet them. They both look a little awkward. Jack doesn't ask. Race does.  
"Ay, Darcy, did someone piss in your cereal?" He ribs.  
"It's afternoon," the junior boy grumbles, giving Race a glare.  
Jack starts a head count, and around halfway through notices Davey doing the same. "Who are we missing?" He asks.  
"Elmer…" Davey observes, sounding a little disappointed.  
"Elmer," Jack agrees. "Anyway." He claps his hands, one, two, three-and four. Tried but true - never fails to grab the attention of anyone under 20. "We're starting. First order of business - are all the newbies keeping their nicknames?"  
Nicknames are a tradition in The Bannermen. Each new member gets one, and at the beginning of the next year he can choose whether or not to keep it or to choose his real name. Spot, Romeo, and Crutchie all nod enthusiastically, so Jack gives Davey a look that means, your turn.  
"Uh, so," Davey starts, "we need to choose what song to audition the freshmen with." Everyone, Jack included, mumbles something about how you're supposed to call them fish. "I'm not calling them fish, that's rude. Anyways. Um, Jack said he wants 500 Miles but I kind of want to do Dance With Somebody, so… how about we vote?"  
"Sit down, Dave," Jack tells him, noting the accelerating breathing and shaky voice. Guy's a brilliant musician, but he's shit in front of other people - even his best friends. "Close your eyes, heads down."  
"Heads down thumbs up," someone mumbles. Jack thinks it's Spot.  
"Yes, yes, I know. All in favor of 500 Miles?" Hands go up. Jack counts and adds his own vote. "Ok, thank you, hands down. And for Dance With Somebody?" It's a tie. Jack makes a face. "Bill, you have to vote, I don't care if you don't care - just hold up a one or a two. Yes, that's better - Race, close your goddamn eyes." He smirks, loving winning over Davey. "500 Miles it is. Open your eyes now, we have to sing it."  
Jack notes Bill watching Darcy as he sings the solo. According to Kath, it's the same look he gets when he watches Davey solo sing. So that's what the argument was about.  
Elmer comes in an hour late. But he comes bearing food, so Jack doesn't write it down. "I baked these," Elmer informs them, inordinately self-satisfied and brandishing a plate of cookies. Albert instantly leaps up and grabs one, and is followed by Romeo, Spot, and Blink. Jack has to restrain himself - he is the leader, after all, but it's been so long since he's had one of Elmer's cookies. Even Davey, to everyone's collective shock, takes a cookie and says that if Elmer is late because he's baking, Davey will look the other way. Bless. Jack watches Davey's face as he eats and thinks about making Davey look that blissful himself.

 

—•—

  
**_Jack Kelly to Bill Hearst_**  
 **Jack** : so  
 **Jack** : darcy, huh


	2. "I. Feel. Old."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freshmen suck and Kath is 100% done.

**SEN18RS!!!!**  
 **Jack** : kathkathkath howre the sunshines doing  
 **Specs** : please change the name while you're in power please  
 **Kath** : at least sunshines is cute  
 **Kath** : wtf is a bannerman its fucking stupid  
 **Specs** : point.  
 **Kath** : additionally,  
 **Kath** : at least the sunshines are cute  
 **Kath** : u bannermen look fucking stupid  
 **Specs** : let them l i v e kathy  
Kath: if you call me kathy again i will fucking end you  
 **Davey** : I agree with Kath, our name is stupid. But theirs is stupid too.  
 **Specs** : BURNNNNN  
 **Kath** : specs idk if you know or not but your ringer is on  
 **Specs** : oh sorry  
 **Jack** : who is responsible for this dumbass chat name  
 **Jack** : sen18rs????? cheesy af  
 **Davey** : …  
 **Specs** : this is better than "the og squad" or whatever you wanted to name it  
 **Jack** : its true though we're the original squad  
 **Jack** : kindergarten and beyond  
 **Davey** : Ahem.  
 **Jack** : kindergarten and beyond except for dave who we like enough to put in the gc  
 **Davey** : Aww, I'm flattered.  
 **Kath** : did he just  
 **Specs** : i think he did  
 **Kath** : also isnt your kindergarten squad you specs albert spot and race  
 **Kath** : you forget i didnt go to public school until 6th grade  
 **Jack** : oh. oh yeah  
 **Jack** : whatever

—•—  
Kath storms into the classroom and slides lazily into a desk, laying her head down on the surface. "I. Feel. Old," she mumbles, cheek resting against the plastic surface.  
"Why?" Specs asks. "I mean, why specifically, right now?"  
"These fish," she despairs. "They're so small, and so loud… were we ever that loud?"  
Jack laughs. "I know I was. Loud, at least. Maybe not as short."  
"You're still short," Specs frowns at him. Easy for him to say - he's six feet tall. Jack is...not.  
"And there's this one girl in my journalism class," Kath continues, picking back up as if the boys had never responded. "This freshman girl. She just doesn't get it, like… a few days ago me and Hannah and a few of the other seniors talked to the freshmen girls, just about making good life decisions. And almost as soon as we're done, this girl - her name's Kara - she turns her back and starts talking about how she's gonna get in some senior boy's pants."  
"You're talking too fast," Specs interjects. "I can't follow."  
Katherine sighs and continues talking at the same speed, except now signing as well. "And just now," she tells them, "I walk past her in the hallway and she says hi, right, except obviously it's 7:30 in the morning and I'm half asleep so I just sorta wave. And as I pass her and her little freshman friends, what does she say?"  
She's obviously waiting for a response. "I don't know, Kath, I was hoping you'd tell us," Jack says.  
"She says, she says, 'and I thought I was the mean one'. Like, how does being tired and not saying hi make me the mean one?"  
"That's stupid," Specs intercedes. "They're all stupid."  
"Did I ever make such bad decisions?" Kath wonders aloud.  
"Not you, I don't think, but I sure did," Jack laughs. "I did so much shit with Spot and Race…"  
"You still do." Specs rolls his eyes. Jack gives him a mock glare.  
Davey walks in looking excited. "Guess what I did last night, guys," he enthuses.  
"What," says Katherine dryly, clearly exhausted from frustration.  
"I applied to my first college," Davey bursts out, grinning. Jack feels a little bad at the look on Dave's face when the other three burst out laughing - but only a little.  
"It's… September," Jack says. "We literally have until December."  
"And I thought Kath was all ahead of the game by sending stuff next month," Specs adds.  
Davey sighs. "You guys just don't get it. Jack, are we ready for Friday?"  
Friday… oh. Auditions. He'd almost forgotten.  
"I still need to make printouts," Jack answers. "Of the sheet music? I spent my study hall in the English office with Denton."  
"We've had ours done for a week," Kath informs them smugly, sticking out her tongue at the boys. "Imagine being prepared for once." Davey looks hurt. Jack rolls his eyes. Specs raises his eyebrows and brandishes his history notes at Kath, as though to prove her wrong. He does have a point - Specs' notes rival Davey's for tidiness. But there's no doubt among them that when it comes to a capella, Kath and Liana are the ones with their shit together.  
—•—  
 **Jordan Steele to David Yakovlev**  
 **Specs** : listen davey you really need to get your crush on jack under control  
 **Davey** : How did you find out? Did Katherine tell you?  
 **Specs** : nah she just confirmed it, i kinda figured it out myself. asked her after 6th pd. dont go rip into her  
 **Davey** : Am I that obvious???  
 **Specs** : to me, yeah  
 **Specs** : have no idea if he knows, though

—•—

**Katherine Pulitzer to Sarah Jacobs**

**Kath** : were we ever as bad as jack and davey are rn

**Sarah** : no never 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just a filler chapter for me to set a few things up. Next time: Newsbians and drama on the bill/darcy end! 
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone who commented and left kudos! It means a lot.


End file.
